Predators & Prey
by Allen Sharp
Summary: A gruesome series of crimes, A cult growing in the shadows, and a race against time... Read on as Blake and Yang fight against a ruthless cult and try to solve a series of vicious crimes and save others before it is to late. Will they succeed? Or will they become sacrificial lambs to the slaughter?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: In the Cloak of Night

(BLAKE)

Thunder.

The roar echoed off the near empty streets, a storm was brewing and getting ready to unleash its wrath upon the city of Vale. The street lamps hummed with electricity and stained the streets in a yellow glow. Shadows contorted from the objects they were spawned and became terrify tendrils, from them a rouge shadow emerged without a source of origin.

Blake walked swiftly down the middle of the street, her eyes darting back and forth. Her increased senses allowing her to see through the shadows and to what lay beyond. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a sliver of paper, the piece of parchment only had an address, she was more concerned as to who had sent the note and why.

 _Clunk!_

A soft sound of metal had Blake ducking seamlessly back into the shadows, her visage lost to the darkness. Her cat ears, tucked underneath a solid black bow, swiveled and help ascertain the location of the noise. Her eyes focused in on a couple of garbage cans, to the average bystander innocuous enough, but experience and instincts told Blake otherwise.

Using her twin weapons, Gambol & Shroud, she vaulted onto a building above her. Using a telephone cable as a high wire, she crossed the street to the adjacent building. Eyes closed she worked to slow down her heart rate, the beating in her chest became a slow, melodic rhythm. She opened her eyes and silently stalked over to the edge of the building. A shadowy figure was peering over the trash and towards the spot where Blake had disappeared, a white mask across their face showing their allegiance to the White Fang. Blake rolled her toes and took a single, deep, breath before pouncing upon the unsuspecting victim.

"GAAHH!" The figure cried, as she slammed into him, bringing her feet up and landing squarely on their back. Blake didn't hesitate to act, she drew forth her cleaver and pulled it to the persons throat.

"Who are you looking for?" Blake questioned, in a threatening tone, her pupils dilated giving her a more threatening appearance of a creature swathed in shadow than a huntress.

" _B-B-B-Blake?"_ The figures voice quivered, Blake's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. She grabbed the figure by the shoulder and twisted them around and ripping off the unsettling mask.

" _Terrance!"_ Blake said in shock, she looked at the 14-year-old boy before her in amazement. "You've grown since I last saw you!" Her mind calling back to the 12-year-old lanky kid plagued with acne and the horrors of early puberty. Gone was that child, in it's place was a raven-haired teen, freckles dotting his pale face, his voice a deeper timbre as he sat on the cusp of manhood.

"You scared the shit out of me!" The boy cried in frustration, lightly punching her on the arm. "D-don't be doing that again!" Blake let out a playful laugh, it had been a favorite pastime of hers to sneak up on the younger recruits of the White Fang to help both teach and hone there more instinctive abilities as faunas.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise, when the I received that letter I was expecting someone… _else."_ Blake opined as she studied him more closely and he studied her. He was dressed in an overcoat and wide brim horns to hide his ram-like horns; however, the tips could still be seen as they curved just behind his ear.

"You mean Adam?" Terrance guessed as he snatched the mask from her "No, I'm afraid Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass is elsewhere, and I need your help." Blake smirked at Terrance's snarky reply, but it'd be a lie if she didn't suspect one of the higher-ranking members of the organization to be behind the message and perhaps a trap or two. She was still on edge as it was, occasional glancing roof ward and down either end of the alley for a possible trap, the White Fang was not an organization that took kindly to deserters.

"What's the problem?" Blake asked calmly, causing Terrance to suddenly grow pale and sickly.

"Well…I…It's uh…" He looked down, his eyes wide as he absentmindedly reached up and tugged on his horn. He looked back at her with a haunting stare, "It's best if you see for yourself."

Blake thought for a second. "Alright," she said calmly, "I'll go, but if this is a trap I will cut you to pieces before I go down."

Terrance gave her a horrified look and tugged at his collar, "Geez Blake! …alright, follow me." Together they began to walk down the street. " _Of all the crazy people I ask for help it had to be this broad."_ He muttered under his breath, while silently praying for his throat to be intact by the end of the night.

…

A few minutes later, the duo found themselves standing outside of a door on a side street, a light rain had begun to fall, lightening arced across the sky. Blake noticed the lack of a handle on the outside of the door, she quietly gripped the pommel of Gambol a little tighter. Terrance preformed an elaborate knock at the door, for a few moments there was silence. Suddenly, a tiny slit a top the door swished open, revealing a pair of angry, bloodshot eyes. "Password… _now."_ A gruff and tired voice demanded.

" _Passwords are for those without friends and we're all friends here."_ Terrance retorted calmly, the pair of eyes rolled and muttered a few swears before swiftly shutting. Blake's ears perked up, underneath her bow as the sound of locks could be heard opening behind the door.

' _A dead-bolt …a padlock…a turn-lock…'_ she thought, she heard several more she couldn't identify. If she was going to need to escape, it wouldn't be through the same way she was coming in. After a few seconds the door swung open with a horrible metallic screech causing Blake to flinch. A woman stood in the doorway, and let out a sigh, "alright Terrance what is it this time?" She was wearing a skirt and blouse like a nurse outfit.

Terrance looked at her with a cocky grin, "well _Abigail,_ it just so happens that I found a person who can help us with our problem." Judging by the shocked look on the woman's face she wasn't pleased, whether it was for being called Abigail or the unwelcome guest, Blake couldn't tell. Before Blake could think of anything to say, the woman grabbed the two with a surprisingly strong grip and yanked them in before slamming the door closed with a thunderous boom.

The woman quickly reset the locks before turning and looming over the boy, Terrance went to speak.

SMACK!

"How dare you bring an stranger her!" She chided, her hand still raised threateningly.

"Well it beats sitting on my ass and praying our problems just end!" Terrance retorted angrily. "Judging by those hips of yours I'd say sitting is the last thing you need to be doing!"

There was a scuffle and Blake watched in bewilderment as the two threw fists and insults that grew progressively more profane. The woman had no outward traits of a faunas, but Blake could tell from her scent that she was, perhaps something hidden by her nurse outfit. Suddenly, a new noise began to draw in Blake's attention.

" _o-o-ooo,"_ came from down a hallway.

It was a low groan, barely perceptible to Blake, but it was _there._ She looked at the two feuding for a moment and decided to slip away to investigate the source of the miserable sound. She found herself walking deeper into the building, the lights off and a deafening silence filled the chilled air. However, where to some it might be a hindrance, to Blake it was a blessing as the shadows gave her cover as she stealthily crept down the halls.

" _O-o-o-p-l-e-a-s-e."_ A voice called out, weakly from behind a curtain, Blake heard a loud throbbing noise in her ears. She realized it was her own heart beta as she came up to a white sheet that covered a doorway. She took a shallow breath and then pushed forward, fear keeping her on a knife's edge.

The room was spacious with fans gently circulating the air. A table ran down the center with an assortment of papers, a small radio, and a mug of old coffee from what Blake could tell. A row of curtains sectioned off the room on either side, on the far end, a wheezy voice sucked in air and breathed out slowly. " _O-o-o….help…"_ a young voice rattled, Blake felt her blood run cold as her heart began to work double time. A bead of sweat trickling down her neck, she gently pulled the curtain back, she let out a gasp at the sight before her.

A girl lay in a make-shift hospital bed, her forehead was soaked with sweat and eyes closed, underneath them lay dark circles. Her skin was sickly pale white, and her breathing was shallow. "Wha?" Blake muttered uncomprehendingly, the noise seeming to rouse the girl for her fitful sleep. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald among her otherwise dull features, she stared up at Blake sleepily as her vision adjusted. " _Easy,_ " Blake whispered as she reached forward to comfort the small child, suddenly the child's face twisted in terror.

" _NO!"_ The child screamed with a primal fear, causing Blake to jump back in fright. The young girl struggled to get up, to run away, but Blake noticed a pair of leather restraints holding her to the bed. She strained to escape, but her bonds proved insurmountable. Blake accidentally bumped into something behind her as she backed away, she turned and felt her heart nearly run into her throat. A man sat in the bed staring at the woman before her, uncomprehending as he moaned. Bloodied bandages covered his head, his sickly complexion similar to the girl.

 _Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap_

Blake's attention snapped towards the hallway…someone was coming.

Deciding to take precautions she swept under the desk, just as Terrance and the woman came barging into the room. "I can't believe you let that woman in here!" Abigail screeched over the girls' cries, Terrance merely held his head in shame. Blake noticed he was now nursing a black eye which covered the lower third of his cheek. "Quick! Get me some sedatives, 3cc's!"

Terrance was quick to move as he walked over to the desk and pulled out a draw, reaching inside. He swiftly moved over to where the woman was now holding the child still. "Aim for the main vain!" She demanded, Terrance looked at the girl as she thrashed about and tried to locate it. The woman rolled her eyes and snatched the syringe from his hands before batting him away. "Aw hell, just let me do everything then!"

In no time, she quickly inserted the needle and pushed down on the syringe. Immediately, the girls' vain attempts of escape grew still, and her screaming ceased. The woman wiped her forehead and shook her head, Terrance shook his head and stared at his feet in defeat.

Click!

Shnik!

Blake moved like a phantom clicking on a lamp and pointing the light into their eyes and then pulling forth her gun. The two looked up in surprise before they both threw up her hands in fear, only Blake's yellow eyes were visible… and they were filled with rage. "Alright you two!" She threatened in a low monotone voice, "I've seen enough, and I want to know what the hell is going on here before I sic every police officer and hunter on this place!" She held her scroll aloft ready to dial up her team, the two paled at the thought.

"N-n-now listen!" Abigail stammered.

"No! I want answers, what is going on here? Who is she? Why is she sick?" Blake snarled, her gun shaking slightly in fear.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Terrance began softly, " _we need you to find out."_ He looked at Abigail and nodded, "show her."

The woman looked at Blake and sighed, "I guess…you've seen enough already." She gently stroked the head of the sedated child before reaching over and grabbing a cool, damp rag and placing it on her forehead. "We found her, along with everyone else in here, abandoned and left out in the street and clinging to life. They are all faunas…or at least they used to be."

"Used to be?" Blake said quizzically, lowering her gun. The woman grimaced at Blake's question before standing up and gently pushing the girl onto her side. She beckoned her to come close, Blake felt her heart speed up again as she eased towards the bed. The woman shined a light down the woman's back, from the neck to the base of her back. As the light shined down Blake's eyes and she let out a gasp of absolute horror feeling her legs nearly give out from under her, she gently grabbed a nearby chair for support. She finally understood why Terrance had been so keen for her to see it with her own eyes.

Where the faunas' girls tail should have been, only a bandage and some stitches were to be seen.

"She's one of the lucky ones." The woman said coldly, Blake looked away from the grizzly scene to the woman. "Some of them aren't even given stitches, just a gaping wound or worst."

"Why haven't you taken them to the hospital!" Blake argued, the woman shrugged and pointed to all of the curtains in the room.

"Hospitals aren't to keen to treating faunas well, plus many of these people have no recollection of where they are, who they are, or what happened to them. The last thing these people need is a bunch of hunters and officers running some slip-shot interrogation onto them."

"That's why we need you Blake." Terrance cut in, looking at Blake with sincere, pleading eyes. "You were the best at getting to the bottom of these problems. I know you can find whoever is doing… _this…_ and put an end to it."

Blake found herself sitting down, from the weight of what she had just witnessed or from what was being asked of her, she couldn't tell. "I…I…"

Abigail walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, pity in her eyes. "Listen, Terrance obviously overestimated what you could do, why don't you just head back to Beacon and forget about this. It brings me pride to see when faunas become hunters and protects the rest of us, I'd hate to see you get wrapped up in… _all this."_ Blake looked up at her, uncertain how to respond. It was true, she didn't even know where to begin, she didn't even have a potential suspects list. Suddenly, she heard the sickly girl attempting to turn over in bed, tears in her eyes.

" _M…momma…help..."_ She whimpered, Blake slowly stood up, Abigail took a cautious step back from the huntress.

" _I start tomorrow…"_ Blake growled, giving a sad glance to the child, she then turned and walked to the door, her body merging with the darkness. Where the huntress began and shadow ended, Abigail couldn't say.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: An Unwelcome Addition

DING-DING-DING-DING-DING

"AHH!" Blake swung forward looking around, only to see her teammates. She looked around only to find herself back in her dorm. Her night had been without much sleep, the images of what she had seen earlier were awaiting her every time she closed her eyes. She reached over and smacked the alarm, bringing a ringing silence to the room. It was a Saturday, but most of team RWBY already had plans to get a jump on the day.

One by one, the team began to rouse from their slumber, a morning routine unique to each member. Weiss was first to jump down, immediately making her way sleepily to the bathroom, the sounds of the shower gently filled the air. Yang was second to wake up, she stretched and proceeded to do a series of squats and sit-ups. Blake finally decide to get up, calmly walking over to a desk mirror to look at her reflection.

A pale face greeted her as she sat down, she gently flicked her cat ears back and forth before rolling her neck. She proceeded comb her hair and wait for her turn in the shower. As she waited, she stared at the sad woman before her, the events of last night felt seared in the back of brain. What had she done? Did she really think she could catch this criminal? Where would she even start?

"Hey!" Blake cried out as her sight was covered momentarily.

"Ggggoooodddd morning!" A cheery voice sang.

"Ugh! Yang!" Blake moaned, much to the blonde huntress's delight.

"Ice queen finally got out of the shower. You want to go next why there's still some hot water or should I get Ruby up?" Yang asked calmly, Blake smiled and rolled her eyes before getting up and walking in. The warm water cut through the fog in her mind and sharpened her thoughts. A few minutes later, she was dressed, eating her cereal and thumbing through the pages of a well-worn book in the common room.

"AAAAHHHH!"

"There she is," Yang chimed, not even bothering to look up from her cereal. Blake and Weiss on the other hand turned around with a faint smiled on their lips at the show about to play out before them.

PHOOSH!

The tell-tell sign that there young leader had finally awoken echoed down the hall. A few seconds later the common room was awash in a storm of roses, after they subsided, Ruby Rose stood before them. "I overslept!" She panted, Yang glanced up at her.

"Yep," She responded dryly, the red head stomped over to Yang, folding her arms together in an anger.

"Yang! Why didn't you wake me up!" She pouted, outstretched lips and sad eyes.

"Hey! Don't blame me for this! You're the one who forgot to set your alarm clock." Yang remarked, Ruby raised her hand to protest but slowly lowered it. She then slumped down into her chair and grabbed a bowl of strawberries Yang had pulled out for her on the table. After a few minutes, Weiss and Ruby left to get an extra hour of study time for their history lesson with Oobleck on Monday. Blake got ready for some much-needed research at the library letting out a sigh at the mountain of work before her.

"Hold up," Yang said clasping Blakes hand, "I thought I could use your help sparring a little this morning, ya' know? Get a little blood pumping!" She smiled and sent a few shadow jabs at Blake who pushed them away, unamused.

"Yang," she wined, "I have a lot of work to do today."

Yang shook her head, "Trust me, it'll be worth it." She then grabbed Blakes hand and walked for the elevator, Blake rolled her eyes, the library would have to wait.

….

"Keep your guard up Blake!" Yang instructed

"I am!" Blake chided, as she stood in the center of the ring, a scowl etched across her face, her ears flicking harshly underneath her bow. Yang danced around her, gloves up, occasionally coming in for a jab that Blake easily dodged with her shadow clones. Eventually, Yang stopped and gave her an annoyed look.

"Fine," She hummed, taking off the gloves. Blake perked up, was she finally letting her go? "Will just do some grappling." Blake let out a huff and plodded over to where Yang was waiting, Yang raised her eye at her partners attitude.

"You ok?" Yang asked, her tone was sincere as she put a hand on her shoulder. "If somethings wrong you know me, Ruby, and Weiss have your back, right?"

"Yang…" Blake said calmly, her eyes downcast as she put her hand over Yang's.

"Yes b-b-B-BLAKE!"

THOOM!

Yang found herself looking up at the sight of Blake kneeling over her with a coy smile. "You shouldn't let your guard down." Blake denoted, she then stood up and sauntered off the ring. She felt a slight pang of guilt at treating her partner so harshly.

' _It's better this way, I don't want her getting involved, she wouldn't understand.'_ She affirmed to herself, walking swiftly to the exit.

"Is this about you and that boy, you met downtown?" Yang quizzed, as she proceeded to get up. Within her utterance of the last word she felt a foreign weight on top of her, she looked up to see a pair of amber irises staring back at her.

" _What do you know_?" Blake demanded from her, eyes wide in trepidation. Yang threw up her hands, and let out a smile.

"Depends," She replied coolly, Blake suddenly noticed something on either side before finding herself being thrown to the mat herself, Yang completing her hold on Blake. "Are you going to fill me on the of the saucy details?"

"Yang, no!" Blake hissed, repulsed by the smell of the brawler's feet, she desperately tossed and turned to escape but it was futile.

"Is he a boyfriend?" Yang inquired, Blake glared up at her and was surprised to see a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

"No, he is not my boyfriend, now let me go!" She stammered, intrigued to see relief spread across her face. Blake expected her to release her from locked ankles, but they remained ridged.

"Ok then, if he isn't then why did he take you to that building? _It looked like an apartment._ " Yang continued in a sultry voice, Blakes eyes went wide and she felt her heart rate increase. So, Yang knew about the make-shift hospital.

"I-it's not an apartment Yang, listen I need you to promise me you won't go there again!" Blake pleaded as she began to desperately try and break free. Suddenly, she got an idea and a wicked grin found its way on her face.

Yang felt her stop struggling, "You decided to give up and spill yet?" Yang inquired, she got no response. Then, a slight sensation began to tingle on the bottom of her foot. "Blake what are you doing?" She asked, her playful cheer replaced with dread. The sensation suddenly exploded in her foot causing her muscles to tremble and nearly let go of her now pernicious partner.

"Seriously Blake!" She screeched, "Hold on…your hands are up here… ARE YOU TICKLING MY FOOT WITH YOUR EARS!"

Blake let out a nervous laugh, "either drop this now or the torture continues!" She bantered, silently praying that Yang would relent.

"No!" Yang argued, fighting against fits of laughter, "We're partners…hmhmhm… we aren't supposed to hold secrets…AH!… from each other and if I have to…HAHAHA!… If I have to knock down the stupid door myself to find out, then so help me! I WILL!"

Blakes eyes went wide in horror, "NO!" she screamed. Instinctively, she used her shadow clone to pry herself free of Yang's Amazonian grasp.

She shot up, Yang flipping backward and came up standing on her feet at the same time. Both unsure what to expect from there partner. " _Yang,"_ Blake pleaded, " _I need you to promise me you won't go there."_

Yang put her hands on her hips defiantly, "First, you tell me what's going on!"

Blake let out a frustrated moan, "You wouldn't understand!" She cried, dragging her hands down her face as she frantically thought of a way to proceed. As she pondered what to do next, she suddenly felt a blast of hot air that came from seemingly nowhere. She looked up to see flames beginning to billow from Yang and red fill her irises.

Blake lowered her head in defeat, "You're really not going to let this go, huh?" Yang nodded silently, only the truth would satisfy the brawler and she had a nasty habit of knowing when someone was lying. "Fine," Blake replied bitterly, "you want the truth, I'll give it to you, just remember _you_ asked for it."

Yang marched forward, the flames gone, however the red still lingered in her eyes. "No skipping or half-truths either! I want to know what is going on, if I regret it or not is for me to decide."

Blake took a breath and gathered her thoughts.

…..

"So, let me get this straight, some crazed lunatic is running around Vale? _"_ Yang recapped, sitting cross-legged on the floor, her eyes wide with surprise as she tried to process what had been said.

"Yep."

"Their taking faunas parts for… _God knows what_ , then dumping the people afterwards to just die in a ditch?!" Yang fumed, unable to comprehend the kind of cruelty. Her fists clenching as her anger grew.

"From what I've been told and seen, yes." Blake admitted, her voice was stoic and yet her gaze exuded righteous indignation.

"And now you have decided to try and hunt this person down…a single person _, in a city of a couple million?!_ "

"That's the plan," Blake said dryly, Yang looked at her in disbelief before rubbing forehead, slowly shaking her head.

Blake had spared Yang nothing and watched as the lilac reclaimed their place and horror began to fill her face. When she was done Yang found a bucket in the corner of the ring and used it as a stool, looking at Blake in disbelief. "This is unreal that you'd take on something like this alone!" She muttered under her breath, Blake gave her a harsh frown.

"Well, I can't just let this go Yang!" Blake argued, Yang raised her hands in defense.

"Easy kitty! I'm not saying _you're_ crazy, it's just…all of this is…" Yang began but froze, her eyes going wide and sporting a nervous smile as she desperately tried to think of something to say.

" _Crazy?"_ Blake replied, giving her a narrow look.

Yang pointed at her weakly, "Your words not mine."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Just promise you're not going to the hospital, they aren't…keen on visitors." Blake shivered at the thought as the little girls scream echoed in her mind.

"Of course not!" Yang reassured, Blake closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief with a faint smile gracing her face.

' _I guess she can be understanding,'_ Blake thought happily.

"I'm going to be with you and we're going to catch this creep!" Yang beamed confidently, pumping her fist in the air.

' _…shit…'_


	3. Chapter 3

"So, where do we begin?" Yang inquired as she hovered over Blake's shoulder, the duo had come to the library, but Blake had remained tight lipped as to her plans. The woman in question hadn't said anything, only giving her a smirk and eye roll. As she scrolled through the computer her mood had noticeably worsened, her eyes narrowing and ears flicking beneath her bow.

"Remnant to Blake…are you listening?" Yang playfully teased, Blake swatted at her hand, before standing up abruptly. She walked over and grabbed a newspaper that was resting on the counter and began to scan over it. After a few minutes she grabbed a single sheet and wadded the rest up, throwing it in the trash, she glanced at Yang.

"Let's just go back to the dorm for now, we need to get ready." Blake commented coldly, before trudging past Yang and towards the exit. Yang groaned, something else was eating at her and it wasn't the criminal. She walked swiftly to catch up to the faunas before grabbing her hand and quickly detouring into an empty classroom.

"Ok, you want to tell me what's the problem?" Yang asked, Blake turned to face away, but Yang grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face her. Yang's annoyance quickly shifted to worry as she noticed tears in her eyes, Blake slowly slid down the wall.

"Yang…" She croaked, trying not to cry. "There were _dozens…freaking dozens!..._ Of people in that place and _this_ is all I could find." She handed Yang the paper, her eyes quickly scanned through the short paragraph.

 _Disappearances_

 _By_

 _Artemis Apricot_

 _In a string of recent and bizarre occurrences several people have turned up missing in the Downtown area of Vale. Police are stumped on any possible motives or suspects, but are keeping an ongoing investigation. If anyone has a tip please call the Vale police at 1-717-SENTRYS. For a list of those missing, please turn to page 2C MISSING._

Blake lowered her head into her knees and crossed her arms. Yang was surprised at her partners behavior, she never was one to show emotion, let alone tears. She gently rested a hand on her shoulder, " _Blake…"_ She squatted down in front of the woman and lifted her head into her hands. "We _will_ find the person responsible for this. So, what if the rest of the world doesn't care? _We do_ , and to them that will be all that matters." She then stood up and clapped her hands together before lending one to Blake. "Come on! It's time to stop this with a _Yang_!"

Blake gave a faint smile, " _You and your puns."_ She wiped a tear from her eye and took Yang's hand, Yang gave her a warm hug.

"I know I'm awesome, it's just a part of being _me."_ Yang shrugged with a pompous grin. When she glanced at Blake however, she found the huntress studying her from her head to toe.

"As well as being human." Blake quipped as she gently brushed her hand down her neck and face, causing Yang to take a sharp intake of breath and blush profusely. Blake herself blushed at Yang's embarrassment, muttering of few choice words about making it awkward. She finally 'booped' her on the nose when she was done.

"Come on," Blake motioned, "I've got somethings I need to do to you before we head out."

"What kinds of things?" Yang replied breathlessly, causing Blake to roll her eyes and blush harder. She ended up grabbing her by the arm and pulling her along. "Just move, you blonde blunder!"

After a few minutes Blake and Yang had arrived at their dorm room, Blake had grabbed bag and pulled up a table between the two of them, "Have a seat."

Yang wearily sat down, as Blake emptied the contents of the bag. Soon, Blake had a full set of cosmetics before her, Yang looked up to her in surprise. "I never would have guessed you were someone to carry so much makeup."

Blake let out a coy chuckle, "I'm a girl with many secrets." Yang grabbed a few of the bottles before her, her eyes widened further.

"Blake some of this stuff is expensive!" She noted in surprise, "Where did you get this?"

"A girl has her ways…" Blake winked at the awestruck brawler, "and let's just say Coco owes me… _a bit of a life debt…"_

Yang cocked her head in confusion, but Blake gave a hand wave to not probe, Yang reluctantly agreed.

….

Somewhere a fashionista felt a cold chill run through her soul.

"Coco is everything ok?" Velvet asked, noticing the she noticed her leaders diminished stature.

"Yea…everything's fine! Just a bit of a bad memory." Coco quipped as she smiled at her teammate.

The horrors of her 'fashionable combat attire' malfunction flashed in her mind, the way it left her out in the field… _bare…_

"Everything….is…. _fine…"_ She mumbled to herself softly.

…..

"…So…is-it-done-yet?" Yang asked, she was only rewarded with Blakes icy glare and silence. Yang gave a wide smile in return she had been asking for the past twenty minutes. Every time she would break the silence in the room, Blakes ears would flicker underneath her bow which was adorable to Yang much to Blakes chagrin.

"Ok," Blake sighed, "You are, in fact… _finally_ done." Blake lifted the mirror for Yang to examine her handiwork. Yang gasped as she leaned forward, for the face she examined was not her own, it couldn't be! A row of lavender scales ran from her jawline down past her neck, they made her look… _inhuman…_ yet beautiful at the same time.

"This is…" Yang began, as Blake checked over her for any spots she might have missed.

"Weird?" Blake interjected dryly, but Yang looked at her with shock.

"What! No! This looks awesome! Blake-y, where did you learn to do this?" The blonde asked, still admiring Blake's skill in the mirror. Blake turned away to keep her from seeing her blush in embarrassment.

"Well it's something I picked up on from my time in… _the time_ _before I came to beacon."_ Blake explained, Yang gave her a knowing nod and decided not to press, they both had things they'd rather not bring up from the dregs of their past. "Alright, so I've got your makeover, is there anything else I need?"

Blake smiled as she turned around with a small bottle of perfume and a pair of shades. "Close your eyes," Blake asked playfully, Yang rolled her eyes and did so.

"You know I was only kidding." She muttered under her breath. Blake began to spray all over Yang, her hair, shirt, jeans, and shoes. Cautiously, Yang took a whiff of the air. "Hey, I don't smell anything, I think your stuff is out of date Blake."

"Pft! You're not supposed to smell anything dummy!" Blake laughed, Yang opened her eyes and put on the glasses Blake handed her. Yang was surprised to find that despite the dark tint, the glasses didn't darken her vision, instead the darkness of the dorm seemed to lift.

Blake seemed to anticipate Yang's questions. "The glasses are specially made from atlas, I'm not sure how they work, but they can enhance your vision at night. It's not complete night vision, but pretty damn close."

"Ok, that makes sense I guess." Yang remarked, deciding not to ask where she had attained them and by what means. "But what about the perfume?"

"To mask your scent." Blake replied, Yang gave her a perplexed looked. "Most faunas can tell humans apart from faunas by their scent, and where we're going, that's going to be a problem for you."

"Well… _where are we going?"_ Yang quizzed, Blake gave her a smile that gave her an uneasy feeling.

"I thought you'd never ask." Blake asked as she grabbed Gambol Shroud, Yang stood up and equipped Ember Celica.

"Downtown Vale? Everfall Forest? Signal?" Yang questioned, as she struggled to think of anymore locations they could begin their search, Blake turned around at the door with a smirk.

"Tonight, we spend a lovely evening _in the Concrete jungle._ "


End file.
